Blindstitching sewing-machine.



3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A 770mm rs "No. 814,608. PATENTED MAR. 6

1P. HERMAN.

'- BLINDSTITGHING SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FI'LED FEB. 2, 1904.

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A 7TOBNE YS No. 814,603. PATENTED MAR. 6, 1906.

F. HERMAN.

BLIN DSTITGHING SEWING MACHINE.

APP P L Y LIOATIQN ILED FEB 2 1904 I 3 SHEETS SQHEET s.

. //v VENTOHI Arron/31E rs UNITED STATES PATENT oniuon FREDERICK HERMAN, or LINCOLN, NEBIi s BLINDSTITCHING SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 6, 1906.

Application filed February 2, 1904. Serial No. 191,646.

. 1o improved attachment for. sewingmachineswhereby blindstitching may be effected with a greater degree of perfection and reliability than heretofore. The attachment is secured to the bed-plate and head of an ordinary sewing-machine, preferably such as is employed for manufacturing pur oses rather than of the domestic class, an but little modification of the sewing-machine proper is required.

The details of construction, arrangement,

and operation of parts are as hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings Sheet 1', Figure 1, is mainly a side view, a

ortion only being shown in section, of my 4 lmproved attachment a plied to the bedown type of sew:

plate and head of a welling-machine. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a portion of the self-adjusting cloth-guide.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of t fixed cloth- 3o guide. Fig. 4 is a detail view illustrating the construction and arrangement of the needle relative to the fixed cloth guide. Sheet 2, Fig. 5,-is a horizontal section taken just above the. cloth- 'des. Fig. 6 is a side view which 3 5 is essentia ly similar. to Fig. 1, save that certain portions are broken away in order to show the movable parts with better. effect,

- and the adjustment of the movable guide is illustratedvby dotted lines. Fig. 7 is a cross- 46 section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a bottom plan view'of the resser-foot and the adjacent or working end of the self-adjusting cloth-guide. Sheet 3, Fig. 9, is partly a side view and partly a vertical section of the at- 5 tachment and the machine parts to which it isa plied, the view showing the opposite side of t e attachment and the machine from that illustrated in Fig. 1. F i .10 is a vertical section on the line 10 10 of ig. 9.

The head A of the sewing-machine is shown constructed .in the ordinary way and rovided with the ordinary needle-bar B, w 'ch is reciprocated by the usual means. The bedplate C is also constructed in the usual way,-

save that it is preferably provided with an extension c, which (see Figs. 9 and 10) is hollow and oval in cross-section. The purpose of this is to better adapt the machine for use in sewing garments wh ch require to be passed over the part c-such, for example, as trousers-legs. It is to be understood, however,

that the attachment will operate successfully with a bed-plate of the ordinary construction.

An important feature of my attachment is the construction and arrangement of the selfadjusting cloth-guide D, which is shown as a right-angular rod or bar having a flat horizontal extension or blade d, whose extremity is provided with a lateral lug or enlargement d, the same constituting practically a rounded or angular head. (See especially Fig. 2.) This cloth-guide D serves, to press the goods X against the needle E and against the fixed cloth-guide F. (See especially Fig. 3.) As

- shown in Fig. 5, the point (1 of the guide D slopes both ways from the needle, or back from the line of feed. It willbe further noted that the yielding guide is located outside the fixed guide, or in a direction opposite that of the head of the machine relative to the needle and said fixed guide. The latter is essentially T shape in form, the shank f having a longitudinal slot f which receives a 'clam screw f (see Figs. 5 and,9,)which enters t e plate I. A setscrewf works in a lug f ,formmg an attachment of the said plate, and abuts the outer end of the guide-shank f. The front end of the shank fits between vertical lugs f forming projections of the plate I. As shown in Fig. 9', the shank is'bent downward adjacent to the outer edge of the bed-plate, and the head or cloth-guide proper rests upon the extension 0 of the bed-plate. The sald head is inclined to the right from the point where the needle E is located and beyond that point or in the opposite direction the guide is straight or parallel to the end of the bed-plate C. This inclination of the main portion of the cloth-guide F enables it to guide the goods to the needle with greater facility than would be practicable if the same were straight or' parallel to. the side end of the bed-plate C. It will be observedalso (see Figs. 3 and 9) that the cloth-guide is rounded on the side [0 dle.

d in the means of the. set-screwy this cloth-guide F may be adjusted with great nicety and as required for different thicknesses of cloth to which the blindstitching is applied. As is obvious, this adjustment has relation only to the minute space "which is left between the needle and the guide. a In some kinds of cloth it is practicable to effect blindstitohing if the clothguide be in actual contact with the nee- While theguide F is capable of adjustment, as described, for distinguishing it from the yielding and self-adjusting guide D, it is termed the fixed or stationary guide, since when in use it is always held immovable.

The upper horizontal portion of the selfadjusting cloth-guide D is held adjustably in a rocking head Gr (see Figs. 1, 6, 9, and 10-) and is clamped therein by means of'a screw 9. This permits it to be adjusted with the oint roper relation to the 'need e E. Such relatlon is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 8,

j where theprojection or lug d is shown exactly Opposite the needle, which is in its normal workin position.

. 2 5 the cloth X 1s fed between these parts, the adjustment being such that the needle will always pass throu h the portion of the cloth adjacent to the ed ide F without, how ever, pressing the clot in such manner that the stitches will appear on the other sidethat is to say, on the side adjacent to the movable clothuide D. The head G, which car- 40 be re uired for use.

- ries the clot -guide D, is mounted upon a jour- .nal g, formin an attachment ofa vertical 5 bar H, which is secured to the right-angular plate I, forming an attachment of the beds plate 0 of the sewing-machine proper. This plate I is secured by screws, so that it maybe readily removed should the attachment not The rocking head G is provi ed with a pendent arm 9 (see Figs. 1,

' '6, and 10,) its lower end being bent laterally and connected by a spiral spring 9 with the' -i'ight-angular plate I. It is obvious that the function of this spring is to hold the clothguide D pressed toward the needle to adapt it to-yield when the swell or lug d of the same passes a seam or otherportion of the cloth which is of unusual thickness. In order to gage the exact distance required between the needle E and the lug d of the cloth-guide D, as may be required for different thicknesses of cloth, I provide a set-screw g, the same passing through the bent lower end of the pendent army and its free end abuttin the vertical bar H, which supports the roe 'ng head G, as before stated. It is apparent that by adjusting this screw 9 the clothuide D may be adjusted to a nicety and t at the screw by contact with the bar II will a1 ways arrest the guide D at the right point when thrown down by th ,ontraction of the spring 9 I It should be here stated that the shank d of the cloth-guide D is cut away back of the It will be seen that' point d "on the side adjacent to the fixed ci'oth-guide F- (see especially Fig. 5) in order to allow a seam or increased thickness of the cloth X to pass freely or without obstruction up to a point where the needle operates. As indicated in Fig. 5 the lateral bend or inclination of the fixed cloth-guide F also coep'er ates to thesame end. Thus in 'blindstitching the bottoms of trousers-legs thefseam and thickened portions pass without obstruction to the needle, and then the increased ressure, due to the increased thickness 0 the cloth, forces the point d of the cloth-guide F backward, this being allowed by expansion of the spring 9 and the rocking of the head G on its journal. The point (1 of the yielding cloth-guide is also sloped away from the needle on the side farthest from the front of the machine, since otherwise the thickened seam of the cloth would continue to hold the movable guideaway'from the fixed guide until clear of the former, whereas, as is now the case, the instant the seam passes beyond the point (1 of guide D the latter again presses on the-single thickness of the cloth, so that the latter is held in the manner required for the proper action of the needle thereon.

An important feature of my machine is the arrangement of the fixed cloth-guide nearer and the -.movable .or yielding cloth-guide farther from the base of the head of the machine,

By this arrangement the line of stitching is of equal depth'in single thickness of-the cloth or in a seam or thickened part, whereas in those machines in which the yielding guide is arranged on the side nearest to the base of the head of the machine the lineof stitching is so thrown that when the thickened part or seam comes to the needle the cloth'is pushed under the needle that much farther, and the needle must consequently pierce nearly the entire thickness, or, more correctly speaking, it must pierce the entire thickness due to the seam, which is fatal, for the following reasons-namely, because a light or thin needle, which is necessary in this class of work, cannot ierce the thickened part, and if a heavier nee le be used thin goods cannot be operated upon with accuracy and success, and when the needle pierces the seam the thread in the bend of the goods subtends a larger are, so thata pucker is formed in the cloth.

As best indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, the presser-foot J is grooved or cut away on the under side at 7' in orderto provide space for the shank and-the point of thecloth-guide D.

In all other respects the presser-foot is constructed in the usual way and, as before stated, is operated by the usual means. As

shown in Fig. 4, the point of the needle E is.

ITO

very thin goods without danger of piercing the same in such manner as to expose stitches on the opposite side of the cloth. Further, to obviate danger of the needle striking forcibly u on the presser-foot J the side of the latter a jacent to the needle is rounded, asi'ndicated in Fig. 7.

As indicated in- Figs. 1, 6, and 9, the vertical bar H, which carries the main parts of the attachment, is slottedat its lower end 9 and a clamp-screw g passes through the slot, and thus secures the bar adjustably to the plate I. In other words, this construction and attachment permit the bar H to be adjusted higher or lower, as may be required to better adapt the cloth-guide D for its function.

I will now describe the means which I have devised whereby the presser-foot J and the cloth-guide D may be thrown up or raised, as indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 6.

The shank of the presser-foot J (see Figs. 1

and is rovided with a lateral stud or pin y', and the atter is connected by a link j with an elbow-lever K,which is pivoted at its angle to a lug or projection k on the head A of the sewing-machine. The upper and longer arm of the lever K is bent at an obtuse an le and also provided with a longitudinal slot I. (See especially Fig. 6.) A barL, Fig. 6, is adapted to slide in guides l on the head of the machine and is operatively connected with the angular lever K by means of a lateral pin Z, which works in the aforesaid slot is. It is apparent that if the rod L be raised the pin 1 will ride up in the slot and while in the lower portion of the same the lever K will be operated in suchmanner as to raise the presser-foot and that after the said in Z" shall have passed the angle of the slot the presser-foot will remain at rest or remain unaffected While the pin slides farther upward along with the bar L. Such movement of the bar L is effected by a lever M, which is pivoted at m to the side of the arm a of the sewing-machine and is connected by a chain m or other device with a treadle or knee-action mechanism, (not shown,) which will form an attachment of the sewing-machine proper. anism being already well known require no description nor illustration in this connection. I further provide the sliding .bar L with a right-angular arm Z (see especially Figs. 1, 6, 9, and 10,) the up er end of the same being crotched or notche to adapt it for engagement with the horizontal upper arm of the cloth-guide D. When the parts are in working position, as indicated by full lines in sev- ,eral figures, the said arm Z is lowered to a point where it is out of contact with the cloth-guide D; but when the lever M is operated f or raising the presser-foot, as before described, the arm Z is also carried up along with the sliding bar L, and thus brought into contact with. the cloth-guide D, whereby the Such treadle and knee-action mechlatter is raisedto the position indicated by dotted lines, Fig. 6, this movement being permitted by the expansion of the spring 9 and Y the rocking of the head G on its journal. Thus whenever required the operator by a simple and easy movement may throw the presser-foot up and the cloth-guide D backward and upward simultaneously, and upon releasing pressure upon the treadle or kneeaction mechanism the parts are restored to their former working position indicated by full lines. As before indicated, the angular arm Z of the sliding bar 'L doesnot come in contact with or begin to raise the cloth-guide D until the pin 1 of bar L passes the angle of the slot is of'lever K and rides upward in the upper portion of the slot without further affecting the position of the presser-foot, which is, however, held in the raised position until the o eration of the blindstitching is efiected rapid y, easily, and accurately. It will be further seen that the rounded projection d of the said guard or guide by reason of its arrangement and position insures the holding of the cloth up to the needle until the cloth comes in contact with and is duly engaged by the needle and that this occurs accurately whether the cloth be of uniform or an irregular thickness; further, that the so-called fixed guide cooperates with the movable IOO guide in effecting this result in the manner described. The invention is applicable for blindstitching trousers of any material, dresses of thin or thick cloth, also for work on leather and other materials, the attachment requiring only slight adjustment for varyin degrees of thickness of the cloth, &c., an also a change from a coarse to a fine needle, or vice versa.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with a stationary clothguide arranged on ,the bed-plate and alongside the needle, of a yielding cloth-guide arranged opposite the stationary guide. and outside the same, a needle arranged between the two guides, the yielding guide having a bearing-point adjacent to the needle and S10 ing away from the line of feed infront of tlib needle oron the operators side of the ma chine, and yielding means for holding the cloth down while being operated upon, substantially as described.

2. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with a stationary cloth .cloth-guide, a movable cloth-guide arranged on the outer side thereof and farther from the base of the head of the machine, and lying substantially in the direction/of the line of feed, a needle interposed between the two guides, and a presser-foot arranged adjacent to the needle and havin a bearing or friction surface on the side whic is farthest from the head of the machine, substantially as described.

4. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching,

I the combination with a fixed cloth-guide, a

guide, substantially as described.

yielding cloth-guide having a rounded point and a needle interposed between such point and the fixed guide, a pre'sser-foot arranged adj acentto the needle, both the presser-foot and movable guide being farther from the base of the head of the machine than the fixed guide and thus outside the latter, substantially as described.

5. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism, and a normally stationary guide, of a yielding guide working opposite the stationary guide and a presser-foot havin a groove in its under side to receive sai yielding 6. In a sewing-machine for blindstitchirg, the combination with a stitch-forming mech-v anism, a yielding cloth-guide, and a normally stationary guide, of a presser-foot which is provided .on the under side adjacent to the stationary uide and nearest to the base of the head of the machine with a groove arranged lengthwise of the pre'sser-foot, for receptionof the yielding cloth-guide, as described.

'7 In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with stitch-formin mech-- anism including a reciprocating nee le, of a normally stationary clothguide arranged on the bed-plate of the machine and having its working face formed -of two parts arranged at an obtuse angle, a yielding cloth-guide having a rounded point which when in working position is adjacent to the angle of the stationary guide, the latter being'nearer the base of the head of the machine than the yielding 8. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with a stationary clothguide, a yielding cloth-guide arranged adjacent to, but outside, the said stationary guide and thus farther from the base of the head of the machine, a needle interposed between the two guides and apresser-foot arranged adj acent to the needle and having its adjacent under side .cut away toreceive the movable clothuide;

9. n 'a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination withafixed clothguide a yielding eloth g ufile arranged adjacent to,

but outside, the fixed guide and. thus farther from'the base of the head of. the machine, a needle arranged to work between the two guides and having a point which is at one side of the longitudinal axis of'the needle and on the side toward the base of the head of the machine, substantially as described.

10. In a sewin -machi'ne for blindstitching, the combination with a stationary clothguide and stitch-forming mechanism including a recipr ocating needle, of a yielding clothguide located outside the stationary guide or arthest from the machine-head, and serving as a cloth-carrier, and having a shank which is extended substantially in the direction of the line offeed and provided with a rounded bearing-point and a concave curve adjacent to said point on the side nearest the front of the machine, in order to facilitate feeding the goods, the apex of said point being adjacent to the needle, substantially as described.

11. In a sewing-maehine for blindstitching, the combination with a movable guide, of a yielding cloth-guide having a rounded bearing-point, and a reciprocatin' needle arranged adjacent to said point, t e point of said needle being out of line with the longitudinal axis of the same and on the side farthest from the point of the movable guide, substantially as described,

12. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with a stitch-forming mechanism including a needle and a station- I'Io ary cloth-guide, of the yielding cloth-carrying guide whose point is adapted to work opposite the stationary guide both guides being adjacent to the needle, a pivoted and swin ing holder for the movable guide by whie it is held inworking position, anda setscrew forming an attachment of the holder and serving as an adjustable stop for arrest-- ing the movement of the movable holder relative to the needle, substantially as described.

13. In a blindstitch sewing-machine, the

"combination with a stitch-forming mechanism, a stationary clothide, a movable cloth-guide and a presseroot, of a lever under the control of the operator, and means connecting it with the movable cloth-guide and the presser-foot whereby the operation of said lever raises the resser-foot to the re- .quired height and hol s it substantially at rest while acting on the movable cloth-guide,

into said recess in the substantially as specified.

14. In a sewing-machine for'blindstitching, the combination, with stitch-forming mechanism, a'stationary cloth-guide and a resser-foot having a bottom recess, of a yielding, cloth-carrying guide whose free end projects, when in normal working position, resser-foot, and lies adjacent to the said stationar 1t beingadapted .to yield latera ly away from down the Workwhile being operated on, substantially as described.

16. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with a suitable stitchforming mechanism, and a'normally stationary guide, of the movable cloth-guide having a ower horizontal portion adapted to work opposite the stationary guide, a rocking 'ho der for such movable guide, in which the latter is adjustable for .varying' the distance between the working point and the stationary guide, and a device for clamping the movable guide in any adjustment, substantiallyas described.

17 .In a sewing-machine fo'r blindstitching, the combination with suitable stitchforn ing mechanism, and a normally stationary-cloth-guide; of a movable clothide Whose lower portionis adapted to wor o posite the stationary guide for pressing tl ie cloth against the same, and a support and holder for the movable guide which is adjustable vertically, substantially as described.

18. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with suitable stitchforming mechanism, and a normally stationary clothguide, of a movable cloth-guide adapted to work opposite the stationary one,

a rocking holder for the same, a vertical bar upon which the rocking holder is mounted,-

and means for adjusting such holder higher or lower substantially as described.

19. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with suitable stitchforming mechanism, and a normally stationary cloth-guide, of a movable cloth-guide, a rocking holder for the same, a vertical support on which such holder is mounted, a rigid arm pendent from the holder, a set-screw passing through the free end of such arm and bearing upon the aforesaid support for the rocking holder, and a retracting-spring connected with the said arm, and a fixed portion of the machine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

cloth-guide,

' 20. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with suitable stitchforming mechanism, a vertically-movable resser-foot, a stationary cloth-guide, and a movable cloth-guide adapted to work opposite the stationary guide, of an an ular lever having. one of its armsoonnecte with the resser-foot and its other arm having an obtuse angular portion and provided with a slot extending longitudinally of the arm and past the angle thereof, a vertically slidable bar having a and adapted to engage the movable clothguide, and means under the control of the operator for raising the slidable bar, whereby the presser-foot is first raised and then the movable cloth-guide, substantially as de scribed.

21. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with suitable stitchforming mechanism,- a'normally stationary cloth-guide, a vertically-movable presserfoot, and a movable cloth-guide whose lower horizontal portion is adapted to work opposite the stationary guide for pressing the cloth against the latter, and a rockin su port for the movable guide, of an angu ar ever pivoted to a fixed portion of the machine, one arm thereof being connected with the presser-foot and the other having an obtuse angular portion, a movable device which is operatively connected with such obtuse angular arm and provided with a member ada ted to engage the movable cloth-guide or raising the same out of normal working position, a spring for retracting the movable.

cloth-guide, and a lever pivoted to the arm of the machine and operatively connected with the aforesaid device, said lever being under the control of the operator, whereby he may raise first the presser-foot and then the movable cloth-guide when the work is to be removed or adjusted, substantially as described.

22. In a sewing-machine for blindstitching, the combination with suitable stitchforming mechanism, including a verticallyreciprocating needle, a normally stationary cloth-guide, a presser-foot having the portion which is directly opposite the verticallyreciprocating needle rounded or sloped backward on its upper side, and the under ortion provided with a groove extending, engthwise of the resser-foot and opening on the side adjacent to the stationary guide, of the movable cloth guide having a horizontal shank adapted to swing into and lie in the groove of the presser-foot, substantially as described.

23'. The improved blindstitching attachment for a sewin -machine proper, comprising an angular p ate adapted to be secured u on the bed-plate of the sewing-machine, an a justable cloth-guide attached to and suppinv adapted to work m the obtuseangle slot, an arm; connected with said rod adjusting and clamping suc guide, avertic al har attached to the verticalmember of the angular plate, a rocking device mounted thereon, a movable cloth-guide sup orted and held in said device, a rigid arm w ich is pendent from said device, and a spiral spring connecting said arm with the angular plate for holding the movable cloth-guide in normal position when in use, substantially as de- 10 scribed..

' i FREDERICK HERMAN.

Witnesses;

E. R.'DEPUTY, MABEL GRITZNER. 

